Dark Nerd Rising: A Night With Comic Mike Lawrence

6/12/2013 3:37PM

In one week in May, young comedian Mike Lawrence released his first album, "Sadamantium," and Comedy Central premiered his first "Half Hour" special. WSJ sat down with Lawrence to discuss the challenges of succeeding in and maintaining a career in comedy.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

I ... I know ... I ... what I call on the the ... the yen and euro to water and you know who ... I ... is it my name is much more than I am standing committee ... I started November fifteen thousand baht ... in South Florida ... region where I'm originally from ... I realize those one in the early age that it was all way at ... night it was an attractive with the way I can make ... you think it's a laugh ... I mean I might repeat ... this money UAB tend to me at the highest moment ... of my career was random over a dead that could happen ... and trust me that you read my for one of my mind that that happens all of that I'm ... you know ... I'd told myself when I was twenty three that by the age of thirty ... write in you to make five thousand dollars or guarantee the credit I would quit ... the US to my Lord it's the ... in July ... the league's ... the new trees in color and read it ... I work of preparing to fire the three weeks ... I aam and the stock restaurants and therefore truly here to mind ... icons in the Rana money at point to have played twenty five dollars my name ... you lose it was cool ... but ... every now it's kind of awesome looking back and it just goes on here but ... Baghdad it was in this horrible ... I'd take by First John Oliver ... of ... your extended show episode on my birthday viewed twenty eight ... and that was also in the morning with the over five thousand more ... he's made his late night TV with us made here tonight is of very funny my clients ... is going to be here ... you when you're doing it feels like that ... it feels like ... everything that ... at the new in life when you are in the arm was justified ... the best way to describe what I'm doing while its Slumdog millionaire ... it feels like being covered in the crapping all the hardships that you went through a work that you know ... and that he does one then it feels like the one million dollars because you're able to remember all of these uncomfortable moment slates be really honest here you can tell that I've lived a rough life ... it's hard to look like a virgin but also hopefully peaches berries are one effect is that the ... I call the whole night and Spain ... the reality is I can tell somebody only have to do his work really hard ... to know happen ... but that's not true ... most people that you did ... work really hard ... and it doesn't happen ... and I and I carried massive survivor's guilt with me all the time and on the team and that successfully Ivy I'm making a living but barely ... and I still ... have gotten so much farther than I ever thought I would demand ... more than a lot of people ... so we're I'm not enjoying any of this ... and that ...